Shoe-lacer.



A. DELFFS.

SHOE LAC-ER.

APPLICATION FILED 06124, 1914.

Patented. July 6, 191.5.

L, WASHINGTON. D, c

ARNOLD DELFFS, OF NATIONAL SOLDIERS HOME, TENNESSEE.

SHOE-LACER.

Application filed Gctober 24:, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARNOLD DnLrrs, a citizenof the United States, residing at National Soldiers Home, in the countyof lVashington and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Shoe-Lacers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a means for fastening shoe uppers, especiallythe uppers of workmens shoes at the foot-insert opening, in such mannerthat the uppers may be readily unfastened without the necessity of anunlacing action or other prolonged operation.

In addition to having as an object the provision of a readily operablefastening, the invention has for its obiect, the provision of afastening that is yieldable to accommodate movements of the foot, andthe invention further aims to provide a novel construction of fasteningfor the purpose specified.

The invention in preferable form, is hereinafter described andillustrated in accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a frontelevation with parts of a shoe upper included; Fig. 2 is a somewhatsimilar view with parts removed and parts in section; Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailsection of parts of the tongue-fastening section; Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the tonguefastening section on line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is adetail perspective of the fastening tongue, and Fig. 7 is a crosssectional view similar to Fig. 5 but taken through a modified form.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates closure flaps of a shoe upper atthe longitudinal foot-insert opening. A tongue fastoning sectiongenerally designated A is provided on one of the flaps and may consistof an integral structure. as advantageously seen in Fig. 5, being foldedto provide an inner ply 2, an outer ply 3, and intermediate or fillerplies 1-. If desired, the filler plies such as 4: may be made of a pieceseparate from the other plies as is shown in Fig. 7 where the filler plyis designated 6 and the inner and outer plies designated 7 and 8 resectively. The plies 1 intermediate their ends and inwardly from theirinner edges are provided with notches 9, and said inner edges are spacedapart as best seen in said Figs. 2 and 1. The tongue employed ispreferably made resilient or yielding and is Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Serial No. 868,360.

shown as an elongated strip of material 10. This tongue 10 may befastened to a stay or anchor pin 11 of small diameter preferably beingreinforced by a sleeve or second anchor 12, the tongue 10 extendingthrough an opening of the anchor 12. W' hen the parts are fastenedtogether, the anchors 11 and 12 at their ends, which it will be notedproject laterally beyond the longitudinal edges of the tongue, areanchored in the space intermediate the plies iand in the notches 9 withthe tongue 10 occupying most of the space between said plies andextending beyond the plies a considerable distance. The section A on itsouter longitudinal edge is provided with a notch or cut-away portion 13which leads to a pocket 14 formed by the plies as the anchors 11 and 12are distanced from the said notch 13. The other flapl is provided with asuitable section to coiiperate with the tongue 10 and this section maycomprise any desired number of plies designated 15. These plies 15 areprovided with registering elongated substantially oval openings 16 whichcommunicate with a similar opening in the flap to which the strips areattached. These openings 16 are preferably wider at the center than atthe ends in order to better permit the passage of hooks 17 therethrough,which hooks 17 are carried at the outer end of the tongue 16 andcomprise a plurality of portions arranged at an angle to each other. Theplies 2, 3, a and 15 are preferably made of flexible material, forinstance leather, and fastened to the flaps 1 as by stitching as shownat 18, or other preferred means.

In assembling the parts, it is clear that the anchors 11 and 12 andtongue 10 are positioned in the tongue-fastening section A before thesection has its plies stitched together and to the appropriate flap 1.Previous to fastening the section A, or subsequently as desired, theplies 15 are fastened to the other flap. Any desired number of thefastening device is in place on the foot of the wearer, tongue 10 isinserted through the registering openings 16 and pulled so that theflaps 1 will be drawn together. This pulling action will also cause thetongue to yield, whereupon the hook 17 may be inserted through the notchor opening 13 and thence into the pocket 14, effectively fastening theflaps 1 properly about the foot of the wearer.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description relates to oneform of the article and that this form thereof may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined byappended claims.

I claim:

1. A fastening device having a tongue, a fastening section for thetongue having inner and outer plies and filler plies therebetween, saidfiller plies being separated and provided with notches, said tonguelocated between the inner and outer plies and the filler plies andhaving an anchor member extending into said notches, and means on thetongue and fastening section to engage for fastening of the tongue.

2. A fastening device having a tongue, a fastening section for thetongue having inner and outer plies and filler plies therebetween, saidfiller plies being separated and provided with notches at their inneredges, said tongue being located between the inner and outer plies andthe filler plies and hav- 1 ing an anchor member extending into saidnotches, said fastening section being pro- Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the vided with a pocket,'anda hook on the tongue to enter said pocket.

3. A fastening device having a yieldable tongue, a fastening section forthe tongue having inner and outer plies and filler plies therebetween,said filler plies being separated and provided intermediate their endswith notches extending inwardly from their inner edges, said tonguelocated intermediate said inner and outer and filler plies and providedwith an anchor member extending laterally beyond the same on oppositesides and entering said notches, said inner and outer plies beingprovided with an opening and with a pocket between the same, and a hookon through said opening and engage said pocket.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARNOLD DELFFS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM T. CLARK, JAMES H. MILLE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

the tongue to extend

